CN114019674A

CN114019674A - Transmission-type optical switch, array transmission-type optical switch and electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN114019674A
Application number: CN202111167883.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 谢会开; 肖磊; 王鹏; 丁英涛
Original assignee: Wuxi Wio Technology Co ltd; Beijing Institute of Technology BIT
Current assignee: Wuxi Weiwen Semiconductor Technology Co ltd; Beijing Institute of Technology BIT
Priority date: 2021-09-29
Filing date: 2021-09-29
Publication date: 2022-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 2041-09-29
Also published as: CN114019674B

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a transmissive optical switch, an array transmissive optical switch and an electronic device; the transmission type optical switch comprises a substrate, a driving device and an electrostatic attraction device; the substrate is provided with a light-transmitting area; one end of the driving device is connected with the substrate, the driving device is suspended on the substrate, and the driving device is configured to be capable of being bent, deformed and flattened; the electrostatic attraction device comprises a first electrostatic electrode and a second electrostatic electrode, the first electrostatic electrode is positioned on the substrate and is made of a light-transmitting material, and the second electrostatic electrode is positioned on the driving device; under the state that the driving device is flattened, the driving device can be electrostatically attracted on the first electrostatic electrode through the second electrostatic electrode so as to close the light transmitting area. The scheme of the disclosure provides a new driving mode for the optical switch, which can obviously reduce the driving voltage and power consumption, and simultaneously reduce the energy consumption for maintaining the optical switch to be closed.

Description

Transmission-type optical switch, array transmission-type optical switch and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The embodiment of the disclosure relates to the technical field of transmission-type optical switches, in particular to a transmission-type optical switch, an array transmission-type optical switch and electronic equipment.

Background

The MEMS transmissive optical switch is used to control the light transmittance. Thus, it can be applied in many optical scenarios. In recent years, with the application of MEMS transmissive optical switches, MEMS transmissive optical switches with a greatly reduced size are widely applied to the fields of smart windows, smart lighting, smart displays, optical detection, and the like.

Common ways to actuate MEMS transmissive optical switches include both electrostatic actuation and electrothermal actuation, as is known in the art. When the electrostatic driving is adopted, the driving voltage required at present is higher and can generally reach 50V-100V, and the electrostatic driving mode has a typical characteristic of 'pull-in phenomenon', which easily causes the pixel pull-in failure; meanwhile, the light source is a binary driving mode, namely, the light source is not switched on or off, and light cannot be controlled continuously. When the electric heating driving is adopted, a larger shading element can be arranged to form a larger shading area; however, the electrothermal driving device itself occupies a large volume, which is not favorable for miniaturization of the MEMS transmissive optical switch, and the driving voltage and power consumption are high. In addition, it is difficult to precisely control the position of the light shielding member, and the light transmittance of the MEMS transmissive optical switch is low.

Disclosure of Invention

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a transmission type photoswitch, array transmission type photoswitch and new technical scheme of electronic equipment.

In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a transmissive optical switch comprising

A substrate formed with a light transmitting region;

a driving device, one end of which is connected with the substrate, the driving device being suspended on the substrate, the driving device being configured to be capable of bending, deforming and flattening; and

the electrostatic attraction device comprises a first electrostatic electrode and a second electrostatic electrode, the first electrostatic electrode is positioned on the substrate and is made of a light-transmitting material, and the second electrostatic electrode is positioned on the driving device;

under the state that the driving device is flattened, the driving device can be electrostatically attracted on the first electrostatic electrode through the second electrostatic electrode so as to close the light transmitting area.

Optionally, the electrostatic attraction device further includes an insulating medium layer, and when the first electrostatic electrode and the second electrostatic electrode are electrostatically attracted, the insulating medium layer is located between the first electrostatic electrode and the second electrostatic electrode;

the first electrostatic electrode and the second electrostatic electrode are both made of conductive materials.

Optionally, the insulating medium layer is disposed on the first electrostatic electrode.

Optionally, a plurality of protruding structures are disposed on a surface of the driving device facing the substrate.

Optionally, the substrate itself is a light transmissive material; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

the substrate is made of light-tight materials, a channel is formed in the substrate, and the channel forms the light-transmitting area.

Optionally, the end of the driving device away from the end connected to the substrate is provided with a shading element extending outwards.

Optionally, the first electrostatic electrode is divided into a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode regions in a first direction;

wherein the first direction is a direction gradually closing the light-transmitting area.

Optionally, the driving device is a multilayer electrothermal driving structure or a piezoelectric thin film structure.

Optionally, the driving device comprises a heating element, a first material layer and a second material layer, the first material layer and the second material layer are stacked and connected together, the heating element is connected with at least one of the first material layer and the second material layer, and the first material layer and the second material layer have different thermal expansion coefficients.

Optionally, the transmissive optical switch, in an initial state, the driving device bends to open the light-transmitting area;

after voltage is applied to the driving device, the driving device is flattened;

and applying voltage to the electrostatic attraction device and removing the voltage of the driving device, wherein the driving device is electrostatically attracted on the first electrostatic electrode through the second electrostatic electrode so as to close the light transmitting area.

Optionally, the transmissive optical switch, in an initial state, the driving device is flattened to close the light-transmitting area;

and applying voltage to the driving device and removing the voltage of the electrostatic attraction device, wherein the driving device bends towards the direction departing from the substrate to open the light transmission area.

In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an arrayed transmissive optical switch comprising a transmissive optical switch as described above;

the transmission type photoswitch is a plurality of, and a plurality of transmission type photoswitches constitute the switch array.

In a third aspect, the present disclosure also provides an electronic device, comprising

An apparatus body; and

the transmissive optical switch as described above, which is provided on the apparatus body.

One beneficial effect of the disclosed embodiment is that:

the scheme of the disclosure provides a new combined driving mode for the optical switch, which can obviously reduce the driving voltage and power consumption and can obtain higher light transmission rate; in particular, the power consumption for maintaining the light switch off can be reduced. In addition, the scheme of the disclosure can also realize continuous light control, and make up for the defects in the prior art.

Other features of the present description and advantages thereof will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the specification and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the specification.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to a second embodiment of the disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the transmissive optical switch in fig. 2 with the driving device in different open states.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of voltage signals corresponding to the movement process of the electro-thermal driver structure.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the driving device in the transmissive optical switch of fig. 5 in a flattened state.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of the transmissive optical switch in fig. 5 with the driving device in different open states.

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a driving device is in different on states.

Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 to 12 are schematic structural diagrams of transmissive optical switches in different states according to a sixth embodiment of the disclosure.

Reference numerals:

1. a substrate; 2. a drive device; 3. a first electrostatic electrode; 4. a second electrostatic electrode; 5. an insulating dielectric layer; 6. a first control circuit; 7. a second control circuit; 8. a raised structure; 9. a channel; 10. a shading element.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that: the relative arrangement of the components and steps, the numerical expressions, and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure unless specifically stated otherwise.

The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses.

Techniques and apparatus known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but are intended to be considered a part of the specification where appropriate.

In all examples shown and discussed herein, any particular value should be construed as merely illustrative, and not limiting. Thus, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

It should be noted that: like reference numbers and letters refer to like items in the following figures, and thus, once an item is defined in one figure, further discussion thereof is not required in subsequent figures.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 1-10, various configurations of a transmissive optical switch are provided. The transmission type optical switch is made by adopting an MEMS (micro electro mechanical system) process.

The transmissive optical switch includes a substrate 1. The substrate 1 is used to support components in a transmissive optical switch.

The substrate 1 is formed with a light transmission region, and a light transmission effect can be realized.

The substrate 1 may be a semiconductor material.

For example, the substrate 1 may be silicon, a compound of silicon such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, and silicon carbide.

For another example, the substrate 1 may be germanium or gallium arsenide, and the substrate 1 may also be a piezoelectric crystal, a ceramic compound.

The substrate 1 may be a transparent material or an opaque material.

For example, when the substrate 1 is a light transmissive material, it may itself form a light transmissive region. In this case, if there is no shielding on the substrate 1, the light emitted from the light source can propagate through the substrate 1.

For another example, when the substrate 1 is made of an opaque material, unnecessary materials on the substrate 1 may be removed from the substrate by an etching process, such as a dry etching process and a wet etching process, so as to form the light-transmitting region of the substrate 1 in the present disclosure. The light-transmitting area is, for example, a channel 9, as can be seen in fig. 8. The light source is arranged opposite to the transmission switch, and light emitted by the light source can be transmitted through the channel 9 on the substrate 1.

The transmissive optical switch includes a driving device 2, as shown in fig. 2, one end of the driving device 2 is connected to the substrate 1, the driving device 2 is suspended on the substrate 1, and the driving device 2 is configured to be capable of being bent, deformed and flattened.

The driving means 2 is for example a light-tight material, and the driving means 2 can act as a light-blocking device with respect to a light-transmitting area on the substrate 1, so that it can be used to open or close the light-transmitting area.

For example, the driving device 2 is formed by a MEMS process, and the disclosure is not particularly described herein.

Referring to fig. 1, 2, 5, and 7 to 9, the transmissive optical switch further includes an electrostatic attraction device. The electrostatic attraction device comprises a first electrostatic electrode 3 and a second electrostatic electrode 4; the first electrostatic electrode 3 is located on the substrate 1, and the second electrostatic electrode 4 is located on the driving device 2.

That is, the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4 constituting the electrostatic attraction means are separately provided on the substrate 1 and the driving means 2. For example, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is integrated with the substrate 1. The second electrostatic electrode 4 is integrated with the driving device 2. Thus, a driving voltage (e.g., V) is applied to the electrostatic attraction device_ES) Then, an electrostatic attraction force is generated between the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4, so that the two are electrostatically attracted to each other.

The driving device 2 is suspended on the substrate 1, and when there is no electrostatic attraction between the second electrostatic electrode 4 on the driving device 2 and the first electrostatic electrode 3 on the substrate 1, the other end of the driving device 2 may be freely bent (or warped) in a direction away from the substrate 1 after being separated from the substrate 1 due to the residual stress, and at this time, light from the light source may be transmitted through the light-transmitting area on the substrate 1.

And drive arrangement 2 is under the flat state, through right the static actuation device applys drive voltage, drive arrangement 2 just can pass through second electrostatic electrode 4 static actuation is in on the basement 1, in order to close the printing opacity is regional, and at this moment, the light that comes from the light source can't pass through the printing opacity is regional to be propagated.

That is, when the light-transmitting area is closed, the driving device 2 is in a flat state and parallel to the surface of the substrate 1, and can block the light-transmitting area, and the light from the light source is blocked by the driving device 2 (opaque material) and cannot propagate further. When the light-transmitting area is opened, the driving device 2 is freely bent in a direction away from the substrate 1, so that the light-transmitting area can be avoided, and light from the light source can be continuously transmitted through the light-transmitting area.

In some examples of the disclosure, referring to fig. 1 to 3 and 5 to 9, the electrostatic attraction device further includes an insulating medium layer 5, and when the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4 are electrostatically attracted, the insulating medium layer 5 is located between the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4. Wherein the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4 are both conductive materials.

In fact, in the case of electrostatic attraction between the driving device 2 and the substrate 1, there is also an insulating medium layer 5 between the two, and the presence of the insulating medium layer 5 can avoid the situation of electrical conduction between the second electrostatic electrode 4 on the driving device 2 and the first electrostatic electrode 3 on the substrate 1.

The insulating medium layer 5 may be an insulating material film.

For example, the insulating dielectric layer 5 is a silicon oxide material film or a silicon nitride material film.

Furthermore, if a surface of the driving device 2 facing the substrate 1 is electrically insulated, no additional insulating medium layer 5 is required.

In the scheme of the disclosure, by adopting an electrostatic attraction mode, the driving voltage and the power consumption for opening or closing the light transmission area can be effectively reduced. Compared with the prior art, the scheme of the disclosure provides a new driving mode for the optical switch, and the driving mode can obviously reduce driving voltage and power consumption and can obtain higher light transmittance. In particular, the power consumption for maintaining the light switch off can be reduced. Moreover, continuous light control can be realized, and the defects in the prior art are overcome.

In some examples of the present disclosure, the insulating medium layer 5 is disposed on the first electrostatic electrode 3.

Of course, the insulating medium layer 5 may also be selectively disposed on the second electrostatic electrode 4, and a person skilled in the art may flexibly select a disposition position of the insulating medium layer 5 according to specific needs, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

The first electrostatic electrode 3 may be a light-transmitting conductive material.

For example, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is a transparent conductive film, such as an indium tin oxide semiconductor transparent conductive film ITO.

The electrostatic attraction device formed by the combination of the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4 is equivalent to an electrostatic driver.

After the driving voltage is applied to the electrostatic attraction device, electrostatic attraction force can be generated between the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4, so that the driving device 2 can be electrostatically attracted on the substrate 1 and can be kept in a closed state.

In addition, a surface of the substrate 1 may be directly made of a light-transmitting conductive material, in this case, the surface of the substrate 1 may be directly used as the first electrostatic electrode 3, and after a driving voltage is applied thereto, the substrate can electrostatically attract the second electrostatic electrode 4 disposed on the driving device 2, so that the transmissive optical switch is in an off state.

In the scheme of the disclosure, the opening and closing of the light transmission area on the substrate 1 can be controlled through the bending deformation and the flattening of the driving device 2, so that the control of the light transmission amount is realized.

In some examples of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 2, 3 and 5, a plurality of protruding structures 8 are disposed on a surface of the driving device 2 facing the substrate 1.

When the driving device 2 is electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, after the application of the driving voltage to the electrostatic attraction device is stopped, there may occur a case where the driving device 2 cannot be separated from the substrate 1. In order to avoid this, the solution of the present disclosure provides that a plurality of protruding structures 8 are provided on the lower surface of the driving device 2 (see fig. 2, the surface facing the substrate 1). Through protruding structure 8 contacts insulating medium layer 5, at this moment, static only adsorbs protruding structure 8, rather than whole drive arrangement 2 to can reduce the electrostatic adsorption power, make the structure more easily kick-back.

Referring to fig. 2, the convex structures 8 are, for example, convex points with triangular cross sections.

Of course, the convex structures 8 may also be convex points with a semicircular cross section or convex points with a trapezoidal cross section. Those skilled in the art can flexibly choose from the specific cases, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

In addition, the shape of each of the protruding structures 8 on the surface of the substrate 1 may be designed to be the same or different, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the plurality of protruding structures 8 may be arranged in an array.

For example, the plurality of projection structures 8 are arranged in a matrix.

The arrangement of the plurality of protruding structures 8 on the substrate 1 can be flexibly adjusted by those skilled in the art according to specific situations, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

In some examples of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 1 to 3 and fig. 5 to 9, the transmissive optical switch further includes a first control circuit 6 and a second control circuit 7.

The first control circuit 6 is connected to the driving device 2, and the first control circuit 6 is further connected to a lead pad disposed on the substrate 1. The first control circuit 6 is configured to be able to apply a drive voltage V to the drive device 2_ET. The driving voltage V_ETThe drive device 2 can be bent, deformed and flattened.

The second control circuit 7 is connected with the driving device 2, and the second control circuit 7 is also connected with the electrostatic attraction device. The second control circuit 7 is configured to be able to apply a drive voltage V to the electrostatic attraction device_ES. For example, the driving device 2 may be electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1 in a flattened state (mainly, the second electrostatic electrode 4 is electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode 3).

After the driving device 2 is in the flat state and electrostatically attracts the substrate 1, i.e. after the driving device 2 is closed in place, in the solution of the present disclosure, in order to avoid the problem of higher driving voltage, the first control circuit 6 is designed to be turned off, even if the driving voltage V is applied_ET0 and maintaining a small driving voltage V in the second control circuit 7_ESSo as to keep the driving device 2 capable of being electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, thereby maintaining the transmissive switch in a closed state.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the transmissive optical switch in which the driving device 2 is in different open states. Specifically, the method comprises the following steps:

when the driving means 2 is in the state of bending deformation, i.e. the first state shown in fig. 3: both the first control circuit 6 and the second control circuit 7 are powered off, i.e. the drive voltage V _ET0, and a driving voltage V_ESWhen the driving device 2 is away from the substrate 1 and is in a bending state, for example, the bending angle is greater than 90 °, the transmissive optical switch is in an on state, and light from a light source can be transmitted through the light-transmitting region of the substrate 1, the first electrostatic electrode 3, and the insulating medium layer 5, in which state the transmissive optical switch is in a state where the transmissive optical switch is in a transmissive stateThe light passing quantity of the formula photoswitch is the maximum, namely the full light passing state.

See second state in fig. 3: applying a drive voltage V to the drive device 2 by means of the first control circuit 6_ETAnd is 0<V_ET<V_OFFWherein V is_OFFIn order to enable the driving device 2 to be completely flattened to close the driving voltage of the light transmission region, the driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic attraction device by the second control circuit 7 is maintained_ESWhen the drive device 2 is in the state of bending deformation, the drive device 2 gradually changes from the state of bending deformation to the state of flattening (the curvature radius of the drive device 2 changes with the drive voltage V)_ETIncreasing in value), but in this state the driving means 2 are not completely flattened, and light passing through the light-transmitting area of the substrate 1 is partially blocked by the driving means 2. In this state, the transmission type optical switch is in a continuous control state of the driving device 2, and the light flux amount thereof can be adjusted by adjusting the driving voltage V_ETThe value of the light-transmitting type optical switch is changed, and the light-transmitting quantity of the light-transmitting type optical switch is between the full light-blocking state and the full light-transmitting state.

Referring to the second state in fig. 3, the first control circuit 6 may be used to apply the driving voltage V to the driving device 2_ETThe driving voltage V_ETThe value may be directly up to V_OFFSo that the driving device 2 is directly changed from the bending deformation state to the flattening state, and the light passing amount of the transmission type optical switch can be directly changed from the full light passing state to the full light blocking state.

See the third state in fig. 3: the driving device 2 is gradually flattened, and when the included angle between the driving device 2 and the substrate 1 is gradually reduced and is smaller than a set angle (for example, < 45 degrees), the driving voltage V applied to the driving device 2 is kept_ETValue and adjusting a driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic attraction device_ES>V_T，V_TIs a threshold voltage that enables the driving device 2 to be in a fully light blocking state. Under the action of electrostatic attraction, the flattened driving device 2 and the substrate 1 are electrostatically attracted through the second electrostatic electrode 4 and the first electrostatic electrode 3,at this time, the transmissive optical switch is in an off state, and the driving device 2 is closed in place. Light from the light source is blocked by the driving means 2. In this way, the driving device 2 blocks the light-transmitting area on the substrate 1, and the light flux is 0, i.e. the full light-blocking state is formed.

Wherein, when the driving device 2 is gradually flattened, the included angle between the driving device 2 and the substrate 1 can be gradually increased by the gradually increased driving voltage V_ETIs determined by the current value of the different drive voltages V_ETCorresponding to different included angles, the corresponding relation between the two can be determined in advance. In addition, the included angle between the driving device 2 and the substrate 1 can also be determined by the detection result of the light flux.

Referring to fig. 4, after the driving device 2 is closed in place, the first control circuit 6 is opened, and the driving voltage V is applied_ET0, i.e. not applying a driving voltage to the driving device 2, while the driving voltage V is applied_ESThe value (applied to the electrostatic attraction means) is kept small, keeping the driving means 2 electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, thus making the transmissive switch in the closed state, i.e. in the fully light blocking state. This design in the present disclosure avoids the use of the drive voltage V_ETMaintaining the driving device 2 off causes a problem of large driving power consumption.

Removing the driving voltage V from the electrostatic attraction device_ESAnd then, the second control circuit 7 is disconnected, at this time, the electrostatic attraction device does not provide electrostatic attraction force to the driving device 2 any more, and the driving device 2 can be restored to the state of bending deformation.

In the fully blocking state, the first control circuit 6 is switched off, i.e. the drive voltage V applied to the drive means 2 is removed_ETWhile maintaining the driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic attraction device by the second control circuit 7_ESHigh power consumption in the full light blocking state can be avoided. Wherein the driving voltage V is removed_ETThe timing of (2) may be, for example, when the drive means 2 is completely flattened, i.e. when the drive means 2 is completely closed. While the driveWhether the mover 2 is completely closed or not can be detected by the amount of light transmitted.

Maintaining the driving voltage V when the driving device 2 is changed from the bending deformation state to the flattening state_ET＝V_OFF(V_OFFA driving voltage value for enabling the driving device 2 to be completely flattened to close the light transmission region), and applying a driving voltage V to the electrostatic attraction device_ESWhen the light switch is in the full light-blocking state, the light switch can be in the full light-blocking state. And the voltage V is driven as soon as the first control circuit 6 is switched off_ETWhen the driving device 2 is in a bending deformation state, the phenomenon that the driving device 2 cannot be separated from the substrate 1 due to electrostatic attraction does not occur.

In some examples of the present disclosure, the substrate 1 is a light-transmissive material.

Since the substrate 1 is light-transmissive, i.e., a light-transmissive region is formed, it is not necessary to provide a portion for light transmission exclusively thereon.

In other examples of the present disclosure, the substrate 1 may also be made of an opaque material, and as shown in fig. 8, a channel 9 is formed on the substrate 1, and the channel 9 is used for forming the light-transmitting region.

Wherein the channel 9 may be formed by an etching process. For example, a portion is removed from the substrate 1 through a dry etching process and a wet etching process, thereby forming the light-transmitting region of the substrate 1 in the present disclosure. The light source is arranged opposite to the transmission switch, and light emitted by the light source can be transmitted through the channel 9.

In some examples of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 9, the driving device 2 is provided with a light shielding member 10 extending outward away from the end connected to the substrate 1.

When the driving device 2 is in the flat state and the light-transmitting area is closed, the light-shielding element 10 can be used for shielding light transmission of other parts, so that light emitted by the light source cannot penetrate through the substrate 1 from any angle, and the state of full light blocking is further ensured.

In some examples of the present disclosure, the light blocking member 10 includes a first functional layer and a second functional layer, the first functional layer and the second functional layer being stacked and joined together.

The first functional layer is used for blocking light transmission.

The first functional layer is made of an opaque material, such as a metal, for example, aluminum.

Wherein the second functional layer is configured to increase the stiffness of the shading element 10.

The first functional layer is for example an inorganic non-metallic material, such as silicon dioxide.

The order in which the first functional layer and the second functional layer are stacked is not limited herein. It is also possible to provide only the first functional layer, so that the first functional layer can have both a suitable rigidity and also block light propagation. That is, the light shielding member 10 is not limited to the two-layer structure in the above example, but may be a single-layer structure, and those skilled in the art can adjust the structure according to the specific situation, which is not limited to this.

In some examples of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 5 and 6, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is divided into a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode regions along a first direction, which is a direction in which the light transmission region is gradually closed.

In order to control the amount of light passing through the transmissive switch with low power consumption, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is designed to include a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode regions that are not connected to each other, see 3(1) to 3(N) in fig. 5 and 6. The electrostatic driving voltage of each electrostatic electrode region is controlled by the second control circuit 7, for example.

A plurality of protruding structures 8 are arranged on a surface of the driving device 2 facing the substrate 1. As shown in fig. 6, the plurality of raised structures 8 may be designed, for example, in a plurality of rows. Each row of the raised structures 8 corresponds to one of the electrostatic electrode regions.

The second control circuit 7 applies the driving voltage V to each electrostatic electrode region only when the driving device 2 moves nearby_ESElectrostatically attracting the driving device 2The second electrostatic electrode 4 can remove the driving voltage V applied to the driving device 2 by the first control circuit 6 when keeping the electrostatic attraction between the two_ETThereby realizing low-power consumption multi-stage control.

The plurality of independent electrostatic electrode regions that are not connected to each other may or may not be arranged at equal intervals. The length of each electrostatic electrode area can be adjusted according to specific requirements.

Referring to fig. 7, fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission type optical switch with a driving device in different open states, showing a multi-stage control process of the amount of light passing, specifically:

step 1, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is divided into a 1 st electrostatic electrode region, … …, an ith electrostatic electrode region, an i +1 th electrostatic electrode region, … …, and an nth electrostatic electrode region, and the driving voltage of the ith electrostatic electrode region is denoted as V_ES(i) Wherein i is 1, 2, …, N.

As in the first state of fig. 7: a driving voltage V applied to each of the electrostatic electrode regions in an initial state_ES(1, 2, …, i, i +1, …, N) ═ 0, that is, the second control circuit 7 is powered off, and at the same time, the first control circuit 6 is also powered off, so that the drive voltage V applied to the drive device 2 is turned off_ETAt this point, the drive device 2 may bend under the action of residual stress. Where, initialization i is 1.

Step 2, making the first control circuit 6 apply the driving voltage V to the driving device 2_ETEqual to or gradually increasing to V₁，V₁A voltage required to close one of the electrostatic electrode regions. When the driving device 2 is closed to the substrate 1 and the closed length covers the ith electrostatic electrode area, the second control circuit 7 controls the electrostatic driving voltage V applied to the ith electrostatic electrode area_ES(i)＝V_TAnd maintaining the applied voltage V_ES(i) State, V_TThe voltage for keeping one electrostatic electrode region in the closed state is shown in fig. 7 as the second state and the third state.

Step 3, adding 1 to i and repeating the stepsThe process of step 2, until the driving means 2 is closed to a desired electrostatic electrode area position, the second control circuit 7 maintains the driving voltage V that has been applied to the electrostatic attraction means_ESAnd removing the driving voltage V for driving the flattening of the driving device 2_ETI.e. to switch off said first control circuit 6. At this time, the second control circuit 7 applies the driving voltage V to the electrostatic electrode region position to be closed_ESAnd a driving voltage V applied to the driving device 2_ET0, as in the fourth state of fig. 7.

With reference to the transmissive light switch shown in fig. 5, stepless continuous control can also be achieved. As shown in FIG. 7, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is divided into a 1 st stage … …, an ith stage, an i +1 st stage, … … and an Nth stage, wherein the driving voltage of the ith electrostatic electrode region is denoted as V_ES(i)，i＝1，2，…，N-1。

Step a, in the initial state, the second control circuit 7 applies the driving voltage V to each electrostatic electrode region_ES(1, 2, …, i, i +1, …, N) ═ 0, i.e. the second control circuit 7 is de-energized, at the same time as the first control circuit 6 is de-energized, i.e. the drive voltage V which drives the drive device 2 to flatten_ETThe driving device 2 can be subjected to bending deformation in a direction away from the substrate 1 under the action of residual stress, as shown in the first state in fig. 7. The initialization i is 1.

Step b, making the first control circuit 6 apply the driving voltage V to the driving device 2_ETIs equal to or gradually increased to a driving voltage V required for closing one electrostatic electrode region₁After the driving device 2 is closed to the substrate 1 and the closed length covers the ith electrostatic electrode area, the second control circuit 7 controls the driving voltage V applied to the ith electrostatic electrode area_ES(i)＝V_TAnd V is_ES(i +1, …, N) ═ 0, and this state is maintained, V_TA voltage for keeping one electrostatic electrode region in a closed state. Driving voltage V of ith electrostatic electrode region_ES(i) After application, the applied drive voltage V is not removed when the drive device 2 continues to be applied backwards_ES(i)。

And c, adding 1 to the i, and repeating the step b.

The closed length of the driving device 2 corresponding to the required light flux covers the first P complete electrostatic electrode areas and the part of the P +1 th electrostatic electrode area; wherein P is a positive integer.

In the step b, P times are needed to be executed to complete the closing of P complete electrostatic electrode areas; at this time, the switch is made to achieve partial closure in the P +1 th electrostatic electrode region. If the total required closed length is an integral multiple of the length of the electrostatic electrode area, step b may be performed a plurality of times and the driving voltage V is removed_ETIs finished after application. The integral multiple of the length of the electrostatic electrode regions ignores the gap between the electrostatic electrode regions.

Step d, making the first control circuit 6 control the driving voltage V_ETEqual to or gradually increased to the driving voltage V corresponding to the required closed length of the P +1 th electrostatic electrode region₂，V₂<V₁(ii) a And remains so that the drive means 2 is closed to any desired position. At this time, the first P electrostatic electrode regions are applied with the driving voltage V_ESThe P +1 th electrostatic electrode region is applied with a driving voltage V₂。

It can be seen from the above-mentioned process that the voltage value for controlling and driving the driving device 2 is not completely removed, but a part of the driving voltage V is retained₂. This part of the drive voltage V₂Only a partial closure of one electrostatic electrode area needs to be driven. If the driving voltage V is used completely_ETThe power consumption required by the stepless continuous control from on to off is Q, and the novel driving method only needs the power consumption of Q/N to realize the interval stepless continuous control.

In some examples of the present disclosure, the driving device 2 is a multi-layer electro-thermal driving structure or a piezoelectric thin film structure.

For example, the driving device 2 is a multi-layer electrothermal driving structure. The driving device 2 includes a heating element, a first material layer, and a second material layer, the first material layer and the second material layer being stacked and connected together, the heating element being connected to at least one of the first material layer and the second material layer (the first material layer and/or the second material layer), wherein the first material layer and the second material layer have different thermal expansion coefficients.

The first material layer of the driving device 2 is, for example, a metal material, such as aluminum, copper, or platinum; the second material layer of the drive means 2 is for example an inorganic non-metal such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or silicon carbide.

The driving device 2 may further include a heating element provided between the first material layer and the second material layer, or may be connected only to the first material layer or only to the second material layer.

The heating element is, for example, a resistor, such as platinum, titanium, or tungsten, and may be other resistive materials sufficient to provide a heat source for the first material layer and the second material layer, which is not limited herein. For example, when a voltage is applied to the resistor by the control unit, the resistor generates heat to raise the temperature of the driving device 2.

Wherein the first material layer and the second material layer have different thermal expansion coefficients. When the temperature rises, the thermal expansion coefficient of aluminum is higher, and the driving device 2 is subjected to bending deformation to open the light transmission area. When the driving voltage applied to the resistor by the first control circuit 6 is reduced, the driving device 2 is gradually flattened to close the light-transmitting area, and light cannot pass through the light-transmitting area.

In some examples of the present disclosure, the driving device 2 is a piezoelectric drive. The first material layer is made of silicon dioxide materials, and the second material layer is made of materials with inverse piezoelectric effects, such as piezoelectric ceramics. When the first control circuit 6 applies a driving voltage to the piezoelectric ceramic, the piezoelectric ceramic deforms to drive the driving device 2 to bend and deform. When the first control circuit 6 reduces the drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric ceramics, the deformation of the piezoelectric ceramics is reduced, and the drive device 2 becomes a flattened state.

It is understood that in the above examples, there may be the first material layer, or the first material layer may be omitted. As long as the desired curvature of the drive means 2 can be achieved.

In some examples of the present disclosure, in an initial state, the driving device 2 is bent to open the light transmission region; after applying a voltage to the driving device 2, the driving device 2 is flattened; and applying voltage to the electrostatic attraction device and removing the voltage of the driving device 2, wherein the driving device 2 is electrostatically attracted on the first electrostatic electrode 3 through the second electrostatic electrode 4 so as to close the light transmission area.

The initial state refers to a state in which no voltage is applied to the driving device 2.

In the initial state, the transmission type optical switch is in the opening state, namely the full light-transmitting state.

For example, the driving device 2 is in a state of bending deformation, and at this time, the transmissive optical switch is in a maximum open state. A drive voltage V is applied to the drive device 2 by the first control circuit 6_ETThen, the driving device 2 is gradually unfolded and can be electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1 to close the light-transmitting area, thereby blocking light.

It should be noted that when the driving device 2 is electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, the first control circuit 6 is powered off, and the driving voltage (i.e. V) is no longer applied to the driving device 2_ET＝0)。

In other examples of the present disclosure, in the initial state, the driving device 2 is flattened to close the light-transmitting region; after applying a voltage to the driving device 2 and removing the voltage of the electrostatic attraction device, the driving device 2 is bent in a direction away from the substrate 1 to open the light transmission region.

The initial state of the transmissive optical switch is the off state, that is, the driving device 2 is in the flat state, that is, the full light-blocking state.

That is, the drive device 2 is initially in a flattened state, theThe transmission type optical switch is in a state of full light resistance. A drive voltage V is applied to the drive device 2 by the first control circuit 6_ETThen, the driving device 2 is bent from the flat state and separated from the substrate 1 to open the light-transmitting area, and light can pass through the light-transmitting area.

< example one >

Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and provides a first transmissive optical switch.

The transmission type optical switch comprises a substrate 1, a driving device 2 and an electrostatic attraction device.

The substrate 1 is made of a light-transmitting material, and a light-transmitting area is formed on the substrate 1.

One end of the driving device 2 is connected with the substrate 1, the driving device 2 is suspended on the substrate 1, and the driving device 2 can be bent, deformed and flattened.

The driving device 2 is a multi-layer electrothermal driving structure and comprises a heating element, a first material layer and a second material layer, wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are arranged in a laminated mode and are connected together, the heating element is connected with the first material layer and/or the second material layer, and the thermal expansion coefficients of the first material layer and the second material layer are different.

The electrostatic attraction device comprises a first electrostatic electrode 3, a second electrostatic electrode 4 and an insulating medium layer 5, wherein the first electrostatic electrode 3 is positioned on the substrate 1, the second electrostatic electrode 4 is positioned on the driving device 2, the insulating medium layer 5 is arranged on the first electrostatic electrode 3, and after a driving voltage is applied to the electrostatic attraction device, electrostatic adsorption force can be generated between the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4;

the first electrostatic electrode 3 is an indium tin oxide semiconductor transparent conductive film ITO, the insulating medium layer 5 is a silicon oxide material film, and the insulating medium layer 5 is a transparent material.

In the state that the driving device 2 is flattened, the driving device 2 can be electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode 3 through the second electrostatic electrode 4 to close the light transmission area.

In this embodiment, the transmissive optical switch, in the initial state, the driving device 2 is bent to open the light-transmitting area; after applying a voltage to the driving device 2, the driving device 2 is flattened; and applying voltage to the electrostatic attraction device and removing the voltage of the driving device 2, wherein the driving device 2 is electrostatically attracted on the first electrostatic electrode 3 through the second electrostatic electrode 4 so as to close the light transmission area.

Wherein the transmissive optical switch further comprises a first control circuit 6 and a second control circuit 7;

one end of the first control circuit 6 is connected to the driving device 2, the other end of the first control circuit 6 is electrically connected to the substrate 1, and the first control circuit 6 is configured to apply a driving voltage V to the driving device 2_ET；

One end of the second control circuit 7 is connected with the driving device 2, the other end of the second control circuit 7 is connected with the electrostatic attraction device, and the second control circuit is configured to apply a driving voltage V to the electrostatic attraction device_ES。

It should be noted that after the driving device 2 is in the state of being flattened and electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, the first control circuit 6 is turned off, and the driving voltage V is applied_ET0 and reduces the driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic attraction device by the second control circuit 7_ESSo as to keep the driving device 2 electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode 3 through the second electrostatic electrode 4, thereby realizing a low-power consumption fully light-blocking state.

< example two >

Referring to fig. 2, fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a second transmissive optical switch is provided.

One end of the driving device 2 is connected with the substrate 1, the driving device 2 is suspended on the substrate 1, and the driving device 2 can be bent, deformed and flattened;

the driving device 2 is a multi-layer electrothermal driving structure and comprises a heating element, a first material layer and a second material layer, wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are arranged in a laminated mode and are connected together, the heating element is connected with the first material layer and/or the second material layer, and the thermal expansion coefficients of the first material layer and the second material layer are different;

furthermore, a plurality of bumps (i.e., convex structures 8) with triangular cross-sections are designed on the lower surface of the driving device 2 (see fig. 2, the surface facing the substrate 1).

Unlike embodiment 1, in the embodiment 2, the insulating medium layer 5 is contacted by the plurality of bumps on the driving device 2, that is, static electricity only adsorbs the bumps, not the whole driving device 2, so that the electrostatic adsorption force can be reduced, and the structure can be more easily rebounded.

It should be noted that after the driving device 2 is in the state of being flattened and electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, the first control circuit 6 is turned off, and the driving voltage V is applied_ET0 and reduces the driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic attraction device by the second control circuit 7_ESSo as to keep the driving device 2 capable of being electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode 3 through the second electrostatic electrode 4, so as to realize a full light-blocking state.

< example three >

Referring to fig. 5, fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a third transmissive optical switch is provided.

the driving device 2 is driven by piezoelectricity, the first material layer is made of silicon dioxide materials, and the second material layer is made of piezoelectric ceramics;

furthermore, a plurality of salient points (namely, convex structures 8) with triangular sections are designed on the lower surface of the driving device 2.

the first electrostatic electrode 3 is an indium tin oxide semiconductor transparent conductive film ITO, the insulating medium layer 5 is a silicon nitride material film, and the insulating medium layer 5 is a transparent material;

the first electrostatic electrode 3 is divided into a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode regions in a first direction; wherein the first direction is a direction gradually closing the light-transmitting area.

Referring to fig. 6, the plurality of bumps may be designed in a plurality of rows, for example, each row of the bumps corresponds to one of the electrostatic electrode regions.

In this embodiment, when the first control circuit 6 applies a voltage to the piezoelectric ceramic, the piezoelectric ceramic deforms to drive the driving device 2 to bend and deform; when the first control circuit 6 reduces the voltage applied to the piezoelectric ceramics, the deformation of the piezoelectric ceramics is reduced, and the driving device 2 becomes a flattened state.

Further, in the present embodiment, unlike the first two embodiments, in order to control the amount of light passing through the transmissive switch with low power consumption, the first electrostatic electrode 3 in the electrostatic attraction device is designed to include a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode regions that are not connected to each other, see 3(1) to 3(N) in fig. 5 and 6; the driving voltage of each electrostatic electrode region is controlled by the second control circuit 7.

Each of the electrostatic electrode regions applies a drive voltage V only when the drive device 2 moves in the vicinity_ESThe driving device 2 is electrostatically attracted and the driving voltage applied to the driving device 2 can be removed when the electrostatic attraction between the driving device and the driving device is keptV_ETThereby realizing low-power consumption multi-stage control.

In addition, the insulating medium layer 5 is contacted through the plurality of salient points on the driving device 2, static electricity only adsorbs the salient points instead of the whole driving device 2, and therefore the electrostatic adsorption force can be reduced, and the structure is easier to rebound.

< example four >

Referring to fig. 8, fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which provides a fourth transmissive optical switch.

The substrate 1 is made of opaque materials, a channel 9 is formed in the substrate 1, a light-transmitting area is formed by the channel 9, and a part of the channel 9 is removed from the substrate 1 through a dry etching process and a wet etching process; the light source is arranged opposite to the transmission switch, and light emitted by the light source can be transmitted through the channel 9.

furthermore, a plurality of bumps (i.e., convex structures 8) with triangular cross-sections are designed on the lower surface of the driving device 2 (see fig. 8, the surface facing the substrate 1).

It should be noted that after the driving device 2 is in the state of being flattened and electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, the first control circuit 6 is turned off, and the driving voltage V is applied_ET0 and reduces the driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic attraction device by the second control circuit 7_ESSo as to keep the driving device 2 capable of being electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode through the second electrostatic electrode 4On the pole 3 to achieve a fully light blocking state.

< example five >

Referring to fig. 9, fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a fifth transmissive optical switch is provided.

and, the end of the driving device 2 far away from the base 1 is provided with a shading element 10 extending outwards. When the driving device 2 is in the flat state, the light shielding element 10 can be used to shield the light from other parts, so as to ensure that the light emitted from the light source cannot penetrate through the substrate 1 from any angle, thereby ensuring the full light-blocking state.

The light shielding element 10 includes an aluminum layer for preventing light from passing through, and a silicon layer or an oxide layer is stacked under the aluminum layer for providing rigidity to the light shielding element 10.

< example six >

Referring to fig. 10 to 12, fig. 10 to 12 are schematic structural diagrams of a transmissive optical switch according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and a sixth transmissive optical switch is provided, which includes a plurality of driving devices 2, and a plurality of driving devices 2 collectively cover a light-transmitting region of a substrate 1.

The plurality of driving devices 2 may be arranged in parallel, and the plurality of driving devices 2 may be integrally formed or may be of a separate structure.

The driving device 2 in the present embodiment is a separate structure. In this way, a plurality of the driving devices 2 can be bent and flattened at the same angle at the same time, thereby collectively turning on or off the transmissive optical switch.

Of course, the individual drives of the drive devices 2 may be driven independently, in such a way that the individual control of the drive devices 2 by the control unit is possible. So as to realize different rotation angles of the driving device 2, and adapt to the light flux requirements of different situations.

The disclosed embodiments also provide an array transmissive optical switch, which includes the transmissive optical switch as described above; the transmissive optical switch is provided in plurality, and the plurality of transmissive optical switches constitute a switch array.

The array transmissive light switch provided by embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to provide light flux adjustable illumination for, for example, electronic devices and the like.

The present disclosure also provides an electronic device, which includes a device body and the transmissive optical switch as described above, the transmissive optical switch being disposed on the device body.

The electronic equipment can be traffic equipment, such as an electric automobile, an electric bicycle, a high-speed rail or a subway and the like. And intelligent equipment such as a motorized curtain, an optical detector and the like can also be used.

Although some specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail by way of illustration, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above illustration is only for the purpose of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A transmissive optical switch, comprising: comprises that

A substrate (1), the substrate (1) being formed with a light transmitting region;

a driving device (2), wherein one end of the driving device (2) is connected with the substrate (1), the driving device (2) is suspended on the substrate (1), and the driving device (2) is configured to be capable of being bent, deformed and flattened; and

the electrostatic attraction device comprises a first electrostatic electrode (3) and a second electrostatic electrode (4), the first electrostatic electrode (3) is positioned on the substrate (1) and is made of a light-transmitting material, and the second electrostatic electrode (4) is positioned on the driving device (2);

under the state that the driving device (2) is flattened, the driving device (2) can be electrostatically attracted on the first electrostatic electrode (3) through the second electrostatic electrode (4) so as to close the light transmission area.

2. A transmissive optical switch in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the electrostatic attraction device also comprises an insulating medium layer (5), and when the first electrostatic electrode (3) and the second electrostatic electrode (4) are electrostatically attracted, the insulating medium layer (5) is positioned between the first electrostatic electrode (3) and the second electrostatic electrode (4);

the first electrostatic electrode (3) and the second electrostatic electrode (4) are both made of conductive materials.

3. A transmissive optical switch in accordance with claim 2, wherein: the insulating medium layer (5) is arranged on the first electrostatic electrode (3).

4. A transmissive optical switch in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the surface of the driving device (2) facing the substrate (1) is provided with a plurality of convex structures (8).

5. A transmissive optical switch in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the substrate (1) is made of a light-transmitting material; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

the light-transmitting substrate is characterized in that the substrate (1) is made of light-tight materials, a channel (9) is formed in the substrate (1), and the channel (9) forms the light-transmitting area.

6. A transmissive optical switch in accordance with claim 1, wherein: and a shading element (10) extending outwards is arranged at one end, far away from the base (1), of the driving device (2).

7. A transmissive optical switch in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the first electrostatic electrode (3) is divided into a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode regions in a first direction;

8. A transmissive optical switch according to any of claims 1-7, wherein: the driving device (2) is of a multilayer electrothermal driving structure or a piezoelectric film structure.

9. A transmissive optical switch according to any of claims 1-7, wherein: the driving device (2) comprises a heating element, a first material layer and a second material layer, wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are arranged in a stacked mode and connected together, the heating element is connected with at least one of the first material layer and the second material layer, and the first material layer and the second material layer are different in thermal expansion coefficient.

10. A transmissive optical switch according to any of claims 1-7, wherein: in an initial state, the driving device (2) is bent to open the light-transmitting area;

after applying a voltage to the drive device (2), the drive device (2) is flattened;

and applying voltage to the electrostatic attraction device and removing the voltage of the driving device (2), wherein the driving device (2) is electrostatically attracted on the first electrostatic electrode (3) through the second electrostatic electrode (4) so as to close the light transmission area.

11. A transmissive optical switch according to any of claims 1-7, wherein: in an initial state, the driving device (2) is unfolded to close the light transmission area;

and applying voltage to the driving device (2) and removing the voltage of the electrostatic attraction device, wherein the driving device (2) bends towards the direction departing from the substrate (1) to open the light transmission area.

12. An array transmissive optical switch, comprising: comprising a transmissive optical switch according to any of claims 1-11;

13. An electronic device, characterized in that: comprises that

An apparatus body;

the transmissive optical switch of any of claims 1-11 disposed on the device body.